US becomes first country to record over 2,000 deaths in 24 hours

Nurses and healthcare workers mourn and remember their colleagues who died during the outbreak of the virus, during a demonstration outside Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. Pic/AFP

The US has become the world's first country to have registered more than 2,000 COVID-19 deaths in a single day with 2,108 fatalities reported between Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile, the number of infections in America has crossed 5,00,000, the highest in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University data. China, where the deadly Coronavirus disease started in December last year, has so far recorded 81,000 cases of positive infections and 3,339 deaths.

In terms of fatalities, the US might soon overtake Italy where 18,848 COVID-19 deaths have reported so far. By Friday night, the US had 18,679 recorded deaths, closely behind Italy. On the subject of reopening the economy, US President Donald Trump said, "I'm going to have to make a decision and I only hope to God that it's the right decision. But I would say without question, it's the biggest decision I've ever had to make."

India asks for extension on H-1B visas

India has requested the administration of US President Donald Trump to extend the H-1B and other visas of Indian citizens till the global Coronavirus pandemic is not over. Official sources said that New Delhi requested Washington after some news reports claimed that the US government has been asking employers to terminate services of H-1B visa holders. "Though there is no such order or instruction from the US government, we have asked them to retain the employees under the H-1B visa. Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla in his telephone conversation with the US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Beigun took up this issue," an official in New Delhi said. There are over 3,00,000 Indians working in the US on H-1B visa.

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